1. Field of the Invention
An aspect of the present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, and, more particularly, to an image forming apparatus in which a development cartridge is detachable.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, an image forming apparatus adopting an electro-photographic method, such as a laser beam printer, a digital copier and a multifunctional device scans a photosensitive medium with a laser beam, forms an electrostatic latent image, and applies a developer to the photosensitive medium on which the electrostatic latent image is formed, so as to form a visible image. During the image forming process, a printing medium is supplied from a paper feed cassette, and the visible image is transferred to the printing medium. Then, the printing medium is subject to a fixing process and is discharged to the outside of the image forming apparatus.
Meanwhile, since the photosensitive medium and a developer container to contain the developer each have a limited lifespan, each should be replaced after the developer is exhausted. Recently, the developer container has been made of a cartridge (hereinafter referred to as the “a development cartridge”) in which the photosensitive medium and the developer container are integrally formed in order to facilitate replacement. Such a development cartridge is provided with a handle that the user may grip during handling thereof. Thus, the user may mount the development cartridge to an inner portion of the image forming apparatus or separate it from the inner portion of the image forming apparatus by gripping the handle.
Although there may be differences depending on the specification of products, in general, the development cartridge is deeply installed in the inner portion of the image forming apparatus which has a moving path in a “C” shape wherein the printing medium is moved from the paper feed cassette through the photosensitive medium and a fixing unit and discharged to the outside of the image forming apparatus. Thus, when the user separates the development cartridge from the image forming apparatus by gripping the handle portion of the development cartridge, the user may be inconvenienced in that the user is required to put his hand deeply into the inner portion of the image forming apparatus. In particular, according to the recent trend of miniaturization of image forming apparatuses, a space, in which the handle of the development cartridge that is mounted within the image forming apparatus is exposed, is small. Thus, the user may have difficulty in gripping the handle.